LEGO

The latest LEGO DC straight-to-video offers two storylines intertwined by the common theme of family. The more interesting of the two centers around the sudden appearance of the Red Hood (Jason Spisak) who picks off the Bat-Family one-by-one while enlisting the help of several other Bat-Villains including the Penguin (Tom Kenny), Riddler (André Sogliuzzo), Killer Croc (Nolan North), and Scarecrow (Steve Blum). Less deadly in LEGO form, the Red Hood still works fairly well as DC LEGO takes more family-friendly approach to the former Robin becoming a super-villain.

The other storyline involves Batman (Troy Baker) growing weary of being Bruce Wayne and deciding to sell off the company whose new invention Brother Eye falls into the hands of Two-Face (Christian Lanz) and becomes a problem the Bat-Family, with the Red Hood’s help, will need to solve. Just as Jason Todd will reconsider his revenge and reclaim a role within the Bat-Family, Batman will reconsider the importance of his alter-ego to Gotham City.

The latest of the LEGO DC Super-Hero straight-to-video movies, LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash features the first appearance of the Reverse-Flash (Dwight Schultz) who tricks the Flash (James Arnold Taylor) into a time loop which allows the villain to damage his relationships with the rest of the Justice League and eventually steal the hero’s powers. After destroying the Flash’s good name, and then using his speed to beat the Justice League to all crimes, the Reverse-Flash makes a name for himself as the world’s greatest hero. Meanwhile, with a bit of help from Doctor Fate (Kevin Michael Richardson) and Zatanna (Kate Micucci), the Flash will work to earn back his speed not realizing that he’s playing straight into the villain’s hands.

The story of the Flash learning to slow down long enough to take stock of his surroundings and come up with a plan is hammered home without much subtlety, but there’s still quite a bit of fun to be had.